Technically very solid, with a well implemented control scheme and good enough graphics and sound, but the tedium of doing nothing more than grinding through the exact same thing over and over again really kills it.

Luminous Arc just comes across as a competent game with no single aspect that excels or attempts to push the genre forward. It's basically a generic strategy RPG that benefits from supporting WFC, though even this aspect is bare-bones. You could do worse...you could do better.

Graphically, Shrek the Third is top-notch, offering superb 3D environments that are displayed on each DS screen. There’s an attention to detail in all of the varied environments that bring the world of Shrek to life.

The area where the PS3 version of this game really impresses the most is in the amount of brand new content that’s been added here. There are nearly 30 new missions, 6 new vehicles, 7 new weapons and an impressive 25 new execution styles.

The extreme care taken with reproducing the world, characters, and story of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix results in certainly the best Harry Potter game yet and a perfect counterpart to the film.

All of the negatives to be found in SimCity DS are terribly unfortunate as all of the elements that made SimCity a classic are here, unfortunately hampered by ill-conceived design choices and a total lack of style.

What we’ve got here is a stripped down version of a great game. It’s nothing short of a complete re-hash, but in the case of Guitar Hero that’s not necessarily a huge problem.

If you’re the type who can get behind some solid-yet-repetitive gameplay with plenty of fast paced action, EDF 2017 might be the game for you.

Tony Hawk’s Downhill Jam gets an A for effort, but a C- for execution.

Though Sega once again stumbled with this outing, I have slightly renewed faith and am cautiously optimistic for Sonic’s next appearance.

The most glaring problems with the game arise in human AI and weird graphical hiccups. Human AI, sorry to say, is dumb.

Since the graphics aren’t anything special compared to the PS3 and 360 versions, the control scheme is obviously the star of this version of Call of Duty 3; and unfortunately things come out a little less supernova than we had hoped for.

All in all, the work and innovation that was put in to this game really shows.

If this title was offered up at a lower price or with more tables, it might be one of our favorite arcade games. As it stands, Pinball FX shook us a little bit, but not enough to TILT.

One of those rhythm games like "Guitar Hero" and "Dance Dance Revolution," minus the depth, size, playability, replayability, scope, addictiveness or polish of either of those two games. Granted, it's an arcade title, but at 800 points you expect to get a little more boom boom for your buck.

I simply found the game too age distinctive. Overall, it is a fantastic game for kids.

Quite entertaining. It’s not going to be enough to draw in new fans to this type of gameplay. Let’s face it – this is a love it or hate it genre.

There is no reason to buy this game for at least 6 months, unless you are a glutton for punishment. Hopefully by six months the majority of the bugs will be taken care of and Vanguard will resemble a game instead of a proof-of-concept.

Just as the film industry has had David Lynch and Stanley Kubrick, or the music industry Laurie Anderson and Phillip Glass, or the art world its Salvador Dali, so to does the videogame industry have its own creative maverick in Jeff Minter. I'm glad he exists and I'm ecstatic that he's still doing what he wants, how he wants. Best 400-points I've ever spent.

The extreme care taken with reproducing the world, characters, and story of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix results in certainly the best Harry Potter game yet and a perfect counterpart to the film.

Sudoku purists will be upset by a number of things in this game. All puzzles appear to be randomly generated, so there’s no way to track which ones you have or haven’t solved yet.

While the controls help to show a continuing evolution of how we use the Wii’s motion sensor technology, it falls far short of excellence thanks to an annoying timing glitch. All in all, you’ll have a good time with either version of this game that you pick up, but the 360 will present a more robust, challenging and rewarding experience.

If goofy, over-the-top minigames are appealing, then Virtua Tennis is the only game in town. If you happen to take the sport of tennis seriously and want more of a simulation, then Smash Court Tennis 3 fills the bill well enough. The only problem I have with both of these games is their overall refusal to advance the genre beyond what we've seen countless times before.

So while this game puts up a valiant effort to inject some life into the sometimes mundane adventure genre, it falters with a complex interface and a certain sense of hatred you will develop for the female lead.

So while this was a great opportunity to revamp an aging game and work out any flaws it had for a re-release, the company took the safe route and merely ported this over without fixing anything.

But this game is not for gamers with a low attention span. Oftentimes I found myself wondering what to do next and waiting for time to pass…in other words, slow slow and slow.

All in all, this game may not be a pillar of innovation or creativity, but it is fun. The combat is straightforward and the single player campaign is short, but fans will definitely have a good time here.

Overall, as aeronautic enthusiasts, we were pretty happy with this game. Currently it serves as the only way to use the Sixaxis as a flight controller, even if it’ kind of lame.

The work and innovation that was put in to this game really shows.

Full Auto 2: Battlelines may be the only driving combat game available for the PS3 at this point in time, but remember: backwards compatibility is there for a reason.

The extreme care taken with reproducing the world, characters, and story of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix results in certainly the best Harry Potter game yet and a perfect counterpart to the film.

If you’re looking for a portable Mario Party fix, minus the Party aspect, be sure to pick up Cooking Mama.

This game may not be a pillar of innovation or creativity, but it is fun. The combat is straightforward and the single player campaign is short, but fans will definitely have a good time here. The game is structured very well for a handheld platform and there’s enough replayability to keep you coming back for a while.

There is a lot here to like if you're willing to look past the redundant quests and better yet, Radiant Mythology is a good entry point for newcomers to the series.

This is a great game. If you’re willing to abandon your preconceived notions as to what a Shadowrun game should be and simply accept it for what it is, you’ll find a deep and complex first-person shooter that is tons of fun and packed with variety.

Yet one more DS game that rises above minimal expectations. It’s not a must-have by any means, it doesn’t reinvent the genre and really doesn’t add anything new, but it doesn’t come across as a half-assed attempt to capitalize on a license.

All in all, this is a great game that suffers a bit on the player-stumping side of things. But for fans of Agatha Christie? There’s no question, this is your game of choice.

It doesn't really raise the bar or set a new standard, doesn't offer anything I haven't seen before, and is unlikely to make any converts. Considering who made it, I guess we can all just be happy that it actually works.

If you've played Crazy Taxi and its sequels, then you've played this new version. It controls well, looks fine, sounds good...but it's Crazy Taxi, a game that is better off remembered instead of regurgitated.

It satisfies on many levels – easily accessible and involved gameplay coupled with great graphics and a cool story.

Just like the empty vacuum that is outer space, Star Trek: Legacy pretty much just sucks. Set your phasers to “pass” on this one.

Overall this game doesn’t take any chances and it suffers because of it.

From the prospecting to fighting, to the huge game world begging for exploration, tons of secrets and hidden features, Spectrobes offers an incredible amount of gameplay.

The camera seems really buggy at times. While, for the most part, it does an acceptable job of keeping the action onscreen, there’s no way to easily re-center your view and so things get confusing at times.

Jericho shows a great deal of thought put into the final product, but it just doesn’t rise above its own problems, unfortunately.

Although Final Fantasy II isn't one of the better Final Fantasy games, it's an interesting cog in the 20-year history of the series, and shows how much the series has grown and evolved since its inception.

A short, bland, and ultimately forgettable experience.

Besides the tired gameplay, Mario Party 8 has some serious presentation issues that will make you wonder if you’re still playing a Gamecube game.

The controls and goals are decidedly simple, the story is definitely classic and non-violent, but that’s not to say it’s only for younger audiences. Just about anyone can have a good time with this game, at least for a while. The Wii version is well done, and the controls feel well implemented. It’s funny, it’s fun, and it’s just plain easy to enjoy.

This is a title definitely intended for children and gives them something to pass the time with after school gets out. Mothers out there should look to this game to give them some peace and quiet time from their kids.

Balls of Fury was entertaining for a short period of time, but it does get repetitive pretty fast. Thankfully it’s priced appropriately and provides enough entertainment in small doses to justify the cost.

The final part of the game, which I won’t give away here, should have been FULL of terrifying stuff hitting fans of every size and speed imaginable, and yet… nothing. More non-paranormal enemies. It is, quite simply, the most colossal anti-climax since Halo 2.

In the end, while not a perfect incarnation of the Ghost Recon series, GRAW2 still manages to be one of the strongest FPSs on the PSP and is well worth your time.

It's just missing that compulsive factor that separates a great puzzle game from all the rest. It doesn't have that “just one more time” sensation that keeps propelling you forward. And frankly, it gets so brutally tough that you'll be hard-pressed to keep at it, ultimately moving on to some other game.

For fans of Naruto who know what the Hidden Leaf Village is or are accustom to hearing about Trigram Palm Rotations, this game can provide a deep and challenging fight.

You may be tempted to want to try to relive those memories with a game like Hot Wheels Ultimate Racing, but this isn’t the way to do it. With far more entertaining stunt driving games on the system (such as GripShift, for example), you’re better off just leaving this game on the side of the road.

[A] less than stellar adventure.

The fluid and intuitive controls provide a refreshing change of pace, and a great level of challenge. The graphics are well above par for the PSP, and the addition of course creation modes and online play should definitely keep you coming back for more.

The biggest problem with all of this combat is that while it may sound cool and complicated, it’s boring, unchallenging, and requires absolutely no tactical consideration.

Spider-Man: Friend or Foe is a good concept and can be fun in short bursts with friends, but it simply doesn’t have the staying power to keep any but the most dedicated of fans playing too far into the game alone.

Because there is barely any game here, you feel like you are just sitting in a chair with a Wiimote, pressing the A button to continually advance to the next scene of the amusing TV show.

There’s more of a focus on web-based combat that shows through nicely, but it just didn’t quite do it for us. Although you’ll unlock a good deal of moves eventually, the initial experience may not be compelling enough to make you want to play through enough to get there.

Taking into account the shortcomings of the platform when dealing with this type of gameplay, RS:V pulls it off fairly well. It’s still not great, but you can have fun with it for a while if you’re not frustrated easily. Don’t, however, expect anything near the caliber of the experience that you may have already had with the far superior 360 version of the game.

I had never felt so frustrated in a wrestling game until I played this one.

NASCAR 08 is a decent effort at bringing this series to the next-gen platforms, but ultimately doesn’t have the muscle to be a first-place finisher.

Tony Hawk’s Downhill Jam gets an A for effort, but a D for execution.

There were a few moments where I felt like Pirates could actually spark my interest, but I left bored in the long run.

If it weren't for the horrible way in which you have to find critical information, I'd happily recommend it to anyone with a passing interest in tactical combat games.

As a whole, however, this game wouldn’t necessarily warrant a purchase from anyone but hardcore fans of the Jackass franchise.

Basically what you have here is yet another port of a movie that just doesn’t deliver in the entertainment department.

This game takes many hours of back-study with the show to know what the hell is going on, which means you are going to be confused, guaranteed. But for you Lyoko-heads out there, this should be right up your data-stream.

Now, this game does have a saving grace – the achievements. They come early, they come often, and they come easy. If you need to boost your ego a little, play this game for a day or two and you’ll have an easy 1000 gamerscore stacked onto your overall total.

Lost in Blue 2 is so impossibly aggravating and unrelenting in how it punishes you that it could easily substitute for the death penalty, if it weren't for that pesky "cruel and unusual" clause.

The real problem for Shrek lies in those controls and the remote and nunchuck sensitivity. It seems the slightest movement of either one will initiate one of your attacks.

Naruto may be a simple and confusing game, but one thing it’s sure to do is make fans of the license happy.

If you’re a fan of the Shrek movies, there is some fun to be had here. Granted, it’s forgettable and uninspired fun that fades pretty quickly, but it’s still fun for that short while.

There is simply nothing here worth playing, nothing here worth buying and it stands as yet one more clue (as if they need any more) that Koei needs to move on to greener pastures and bury this franchise once and for all.

Sonic Riders: Zero Gravity’s problems keep it from being a consistent blast - but it has its moments.

Dragoneer's Aria misses the mark in critical categories, especially in light of recent competition. You can do far worse than Dragoneer's, that's for sure...but with Brave Story out, you can now do far better.

This game is definitely good for those of you who long for the carnival experience and can provide a really fun multiplayer experience as well. In the already very crowded Wii mini-game collection this one may not be the best, but it’s worth checking out.

If some varied gameplay and better graphics had been utilized, Touch the Dead could have been something cool, as the DS is perfectly suited for a game of this type. Unfortunately, it looks like this received minimal effort and even less of a budget.

Next Life could have been fantastic. It is by no means bad – just held back by some strange design oversights.

Assuming you actually take the time to understand the cryptic controls, you’ll find yourself never having to use your ninja abilities because you can simply hack and slash your way to the objective.

If you’re a fan of the Shrek movies, there is some fun to be had here. Granted, it’s forgettable and uninspired fun that fades pretty quickly, but it’s still fun for that short while.

Monster Madness could’ve been fun. It looks good enough to hold its own, and the general concept is pretty cool, but the execution just falls flat of the standards we should all hold for “next-gen” games.

There were a few moments where I felt like Pirates could actually spark my interest, but I left bored in the long run. There’s a decent amount of fun that can be had with this game, but you’ve got to be in the right mindset. Much like the movies, At World’s End is at best a popcorn game.

All in all, Circle of Doom’s hack and slash formula feels out of place alongside the other games of the series, and more appropriate next to Gauntlet. Frilly-collared warrior needs food badly!

Even if it’s just to have chess or checkers to play online, you may want to look into this title. The camera support adds a little bit of extra fun to a very bare-bones package.

Very similar to most Michael Bay films - graphically intense, but shallow in terms of character and story. Add to that boring combat and you have a game good for fans of the upcoming movie only, though not even Transformer fan in general.

If you go into Valhalla Knights expecting a mindless, empty and soulless dungeon romp, then your expectations will be fulfilled. If that's what you want out of a game, Valhalla Knights delivers. However, if you foolishly come to this game anticipating a riveting story that propels the action with great characters and plot twists, expect to fall into a bottomless pit of frustration.

Similar to most Michael Bay films - graphically intense, but shallow in terms of character and story. Add to that boring combat and you have a game good for fans of the upcoming movie only, though not even Transformer fan in general.

An exercise in futility, a poorly designed and frustrating experience that questions how loose of a definition we should give to the word “game”.

Multiplayer is about as weak as the in-game humor.

The controls and gameplay just plain suck, the girls are freakish, and the music made us wish we had an ear infection. This game is demeaning to women, who are treated as nothing more than toys here, and underestimates gamers in general.

It's not the breakthrough title that Nintendo set it up to be.

If an easily amused player can get over the difficulty and monotony, they’ll find an afternoon’s worth of enjoyment here.

Very similar to most Michael Bay films - graphically intense, but shallow in terms of character and story. Add to that boring combat and you have a game good for fans of the upcoming movie only, though not even Transformer fan in general.

The terrible frame rate, frustrating navigation, and bland gameplay result in a title that only the most diehard fans of Harry Potter should play. If you’ve got another system besides PSP, do yourself a favor and pick up the far superior home console version instead.